Hey, Dave: Keep staring down Martinez and super agent Scott Boras. Don't budge. Mostly importantly, don't outbid yourself because you're desperate to add a power hitter to a lineup that finished last in the American League in home runs (168) during 2017.

There's a big difference between being cheap and being smart. Longterm contracts the Red Sox have negotiated in recent years haven't worked from Carl Crawford to Pablo Sandoval to Hanley Ramirez.

Still, fans seem to be itching for Dombrowski to increase his offer to land Martinez. They're upset with his inactivity this offseason.

The best Red Sox offseason in recent history was 2012-13 when then-GM Ben Cherington inked four players to short-term deals. He signed Shane Victorino to a three-year, $39-million contract, Mike Napoli for one year, $13 million (including incentives), Ryan Dempster for two years, $26.5 million and Jonny Gomes for two years, $10 million. Napoli's initial deal was three years, $39 million but they re-negotiated after a hip condition was discovered during his physical.

The Red Sox ended up winning the 2013 World Series. Just as important, those four contracts never hamstrung the Red Sox despite lack of production from all four players at times because the deals were short-term (three years or fewer).

An so the Sox should keep staring down Martinez and feel fine if another organization outbids them. If that happens, they could consider re-signing Eduardo Nunez to a two- or three-year contract.

Nunez obviously lacks elite power, but he showed his swing plays well at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox and one other team (believed to be the Diamondbacks) reportedly have offered Martinez a five-year contract. "The interested teams are believed offering somewhere in the $120 million to $150 million range," Heyman reported.

Five years, $150 million ($30 million average annual value) should be all the Red Sox are willing to offer.

If you lose out on him, then you lose out.

We've seen how much longterm damage longterm contracts can do to an organization. Pablo Sandoval's $19 million average annual salary still will count against Boston's CBT in 2018 and 2019 despite him being released midway through the 2017 season.

It's not just the Red Sox who have foolishly overpaid.

Boras' client Jacoby Ellsbury signed for seven years, $153 million with the Yankees. He's now a backup outfielder.

Boras' client Prince Fielder signed with the Tigers for nine years, $214 million in January 2012, a deal in which Dombrowski, then Tigers GM, might have outbid himself.

Boras' client Shin-Soo Choo signed with the Rangers for seven years, $130 million in December 2013. Choo has batted just .259 with a .779 OPS for Texas.

Again, this isn't about being cheap. It's about being smart.

The Red Sox were cheap last offseason when they refused to pursue then-free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion who ended up signing an extremely reasonable three-year, $60-million contract with the Indians.

Boston chose not to pursue Encarncacion because of its commitment to staying under the CBT in 2017. But Encarncacion's contract would have been perfect for this team right now. Dombrowski wouldn't be in a staredown/stalemate with Boras/Martinez and potentially about to overspend on a player with an injury history.